It's good to be back in swing

Ed Mathews

March 10, 2013 12:01 AM

Ed Mathews

March 10, 2013 12:01 AM

Now where were we before we were so rudely interrupted? We had quite an experience starting Jan. 2 when we fell and broke a hip. Surgery by Dr. Tom Fessler followed and then a 60-day convalescence at St. Mary's West. It was good to finally return home, and we are now getting back to the way it was. ... We enjoyed seeing friends like John McLaughlin, Bob Brabender, Joe Cyterski, Jim Cox and others who reside at St. Mary's. The care is first-rate there and, because the place is nice and warm, we did not miss being outside in Erie's freezing cold and snow. Many nursing homes even allow your dog to visit. ... One thing we missed in recent weeks was the opportunity to pay our last respects to friends who died. We would have ordinarily done this. Sadly, too many friends passed since the first of the year. ... Don't forget that daylight saving time starts today. Everyone should have set their clocks ahead by an hour. ... We have watched a lot of college basketball, and the NCAA men's tournament, set to start March 21, should be wide open. We recall that the late Ben Wiley, who had been an excellent player at Gannon in the 1960s, used to take the week off to watch all of the tournament games. When Michigan's men's team plays on TV, which has been often in recent days, the Wolverines' coach, John Beilein, has been a familiar face. Back when Tom Chapman coached at Gannon, LeMoyne College was also a member of the same conference. Beilein coached LeMoyne at that time, and the team's star guard was Dave Niland, Beilein's brother-in-law, who is now the highly successful men's basketball coach at Penn State Behrend.

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People of Irish descent and those who just like to celebrate St. Patrick's Day are starting to gear up for the big day on March 17. This year's class of the Knights and Ladies of St. Patrick includes Tim Fuhrman, Carol Kuzma, Pat Liebel, Meg Loncharic and John Maloney. ... The Haener Brothers Irish Band will give a free concert Friday at 1 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Soldiers' & Sailors' Home. Fred Haener said Irish jigs, waltzes and folk music will be featured. ... When several former Notre Dame football players appeared at Art Arkelian's banquet, they autographed a football that Erie Insurance CEO Terry Cavanaugh won with a bid of $800. Then he donated the ball to the local Notre Dame alumni group that will have its big annual dinner Thursday at the Kahkwa Club. The ball will be auctioned at the dinner.